Junior College safety from Iowa Western Community College commits to FSU football
Florida State football added some help to its secondary Tuesday afternoon when Junior College safety Ashlynd Barker announced he was transferring to FSU.
Barker announced his decision on Twitter.
"God did," his tweet read.
God did. #commited pic.twitter.com/PMFHTWSAYN
— Ashlynd Barker (@AshlyndBarker) May 16, 2023
Barker was on campus this past weekend for an official visit.
The safety redshirted last season, his only season at Iowa Western C.C. in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He will have four years of eligibility remaining.
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Barker is listed at 6-foot-3, 200-pounds on his 247Sports page. The Georgia native did not have Power 5 offers out of high school.
Barker has yet to be ranked in the 2023 class according to 247Sports.
He committed to the Seminoles over Oregon State, where he had a visit set up for next week. Barker also visited Ball State earlier this offseason and had interest from New Mexico State.
Defensive coordinator Adam Fuller played a big role in getting Barker to Tallahassee.
What it means
With two-time All-ACC safety Jammie Robinson drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, as well as Omarion Cooper and Travis Jay transferring to Colorado, the Seminoles had a need for safety.
Akeem Dent and Shyheim Brown currently project as the starters at safety. Early enrollee freshman KJ Kirkland had a strong spring and is looking at a bigger role now after a strong spring performance. Four-star Conrad Hussey is set to arrive in the summer to solidify the depth.
Barker, who will be a redshirt freshman, will compete with Kirkland and Hussey for a bigger role.
Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football: Safety Ashlynd Barker commits to Seminoles
